Confinement

Confinement

Myths and traditions abound, some debunked as they are no longer true in current ages but sometimes you just gotta heck it n follow what the elders say..

The basis for such practices is to protect the new mother from future ill health, restore her strength and protect the family from ritual pollution. See here for practices across different races in Singapore:  http://www.healthxchange.com.sg/healthyliving/womenhealth/Pages/confinement-dos-and-donts.aspx 

Malay practices	Indian practices	Chinese practices	Me
44 days	40 days	30 days	30 days
• To purge out the “wind” in the body after delivery, promote “blood circulation”, strengthen the joints and promote milk supply • To avoid “cooling” foods
During confinement, a woman follows a special diet in which heating foods are encouraged and cooling foods avoided to restore the balance upset by the birth of the baby. Some Malay women who have just delivered often take a special drink called “jamu”. It is believed that the body's pores are opened during labour and “jamu” has properties that can keep the body warm.	Indians take garlic milk to prevent “wind”. Like the Chinese and Malays, “cooling” foods are avoided, especially tomatoes, cucumbers, coconut milk and mutton. Only chicken and shark fish cooked with herbs are allowed. Other seafood is not allowed. Chilli is not allowed. Consuming plenty of garlic cooked without oil is encouraged. Cooking is done with gingly oil. The oral intake of herbs is  encouraged to keep the body warm. There is a restriction on the intake of fluids/fruits/vegetables as well as cold drinks.	Traditionally, they use a lot of ginger, wine and sesame oil in their diet. Common dishes include pigs' trotters cooked with ginger and vinegar, fish soup, chicken cooked in sesame oil and a traditional tonic brewed from 10 herbs. Fish soup boiled with papaya is believed to be beneficial for milk production. It is also recommended that plain water be avoided during this period to reduce the risk of water retention. Instead, specially prepared drinks from a mixture of herbs and preserved dates are recommended.	Granny used a lot of Wen Dong Ginger, wine and sesame oil. Wen Dong Ginger is supposedly more heaty and powerful than normal ginger. Took 2 heavy meals a day of fish, meat, veg nad rice or vermicilli with ginger egg. Soups for dinner.                                             I also had mostly red date water and brown rice dry fried with ginger water rather than plain water.
Traditionally, childbirth is in the mother’s home attended by a bidan (Malay midwife) and the umbilical stump dusted with a mixture of spices. Fortunately, this has been replaced by hospital births that reduce complications and infection rates. Immediately after birth, both mother and baby should be bathed in heated water filled with herbs. The mother should “keep warm” through various traditional methods. These may include sitting near to or lying above a heat source, or warming the abdomen by applying a heated stone over it. During this confinement period, a female masseuse is engaged to help the mother regain her figure or at least to keep her extended tummy trim. The practice of tightly binding the tummy is called berbengkong, and is believed to help in maintaining the body shape. Sex is also strictly prohibited during the confinement period.	Indian mothers are also discouraged from leaving their homes during their confinement period. "Bathing is discouraged and if done, it should be performed with special herbal preparations and turmeric powder. Bathing is only allowed between 11 am and 2 pm when the temperature is at its highest." Daily body massages with oil are also encouraged. • Not allowed to enter the prayer altar room. • Warm water is splashed on abdomen during bathing to expel clots from uterus. • Washing of hair is done on odd days i.e. day 3,5,7… during the first two weeks. Dry hair after washing with incense smoke. • Place incense smoke in between legs to dry episiotomy wound. • Binding of tummy with six feet cloth. Sex is also strictly prohibited during the confinement period. .	The Chinese believe in staying indoors throughout the confinement period to avoid outdoor pollution.	I stayed at home except to go for jaundice follow-ups. If I went out, I was in a cardigan and long pants to avoid catching a chill being in and out of aircon and the sun.
		Strenuous physical activities are discouraged to prevent further “muscle weakening”.	I mostly rested and nursed baby, pumped milk, played a little with my elder girl.
		Some hire a confinement nanny to help with the housework and caring for the baby.	Granny was my confinement lady while helper did the housework.
		Other practices may include:
		• Not washing the body or hair during the month; especially avoiding contact with cold water.	Wet Shampooed my hair only after 12 days, prior to that used Klorane dry shampoo. and splashed myself in boiled lemongrass herbal water to wipe myself down for the first 12 days. Supposed to only do a wipe down, but I splashed the hand towel and wiped down for a reprive with boiled herb water. :) Bathed with herb water and lemongrass shower gel on alternate days and splash down after 12 days. My tap didn't have hot water function, granny said best not to touch cold water and if need be, always wash each warm or hot water. I flunked that rule, now sometimes I do feel finger joint ache , not sure if its over messaging or due to cold water confinement use..
		• Not going outside for the entire month (or at least avoid wind).	I stayed at home except to go for jaundice follow-ups. If I went out, I was in a cardigan and long pants to avoid catching a chill being in and out of aircon and the sun.
		• Not eating raw or “cooling” foods, or foods cooked the previous day.	Yep, I ate freshly cooked foods daily.
		• Eat chicken, especially chicken cooked in sesame oil; pork liver and kidney are also good; eat five or six meals daily and rinse the rice bowl with scalding water.	Ate mostly pork first as I had itchy skin earlier eating chicken. Drink pork stomach soup and other herbal soups. Not sure if my bowl was rinse with scalding water.
		• Avoid all wind, fans and air-conditioning.	Had the fan and air-con though not directly.
		• Avoid walking or moving about; the ideal is to lie on the back in bed.	Did this about 60% of the time.
		• Do not go into another person’s home.	Went only to mum's and doctor's where necessary.
		• Do not get sick.	Caught flu and sore throat,(granny says cox I bathed), but I wasn't sure it was because I was too heaty and thus got sick.
		• Do not read or cry.	Cried when baby got readmitted for jaundice.
		• Do not have sex.	Abstained
		• Do not eat with family members.	Ate at my dressing table alone since my confinement meal was always cooked first separately from the rest.
		• Do not burn incense or visit a temple or altar.	Yep, Think I didn't.

Got lemongrass confinement shower gel from here: http://www.mamaonlinestore.com/cart/en/blog/post/lemongrass-confinement-showergel-ginger-cream-and-lavender-cream-taiwan

Do get this in 2L bottle, very worth it, used it for half a year. I had got another bottle during a group.buy with fellow mummies, another brand and it was only 160ml each or something for shower gel and body wash, not even enough for half month's use.

During confinement, sweat and milk and menses are quite abundant, so do get enough hankies, breast pads, large sanitary pads. Also drink up so that you can be a cow for your baby. Please don't go dieting. Effective breastfeeding will take care of losing all the fats, should you have gained them during pregnancy. so just drink up and feast up. Do Note that when your milk output slows down a couple of months later, adjust your diet so that the weight stays away. I need to remind myself of that in time to come. Also rest up and enjoy the young one in your arms..

Any burning questions, ask your mummy support group or google them. I'm sure well-meaning friends, like me, would also love to offer their two cents' worth of experience. :)